Complicated
by Brinchen86
Summary: Suppressed feelings, misunderstandings and wrong decisions- life can be so complicated. DL
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**** Suppressed feelings, misunderstandings and wrong decisions- life can be so complicated.**

**Author's note:**** At the moment, this story will have four chapters. The POV will change every chapter.**

**I got this idea and it didn't go away until I started to write this story. There might be some unanswered questions at the end of this chapter, but they'll be answered during this story.**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything or anyone.**

**Categories:**** Romance/Angst**

**Rating:**** T**

Danny was sitting in the waiting room, his face resting in his palms. He was nervous, his heart was racing. When there was one thing he hated, it was waiting. Definitely.

But the fact that he was waiting right now wasn't the only reason for him being nervous. How long had he waited for this day, and now it was there. And instead of being happy, he could feel fear rising inside him. 

And if this wasn't enough, he also was totally confused. Confused by what else was going on in his mind. Confused by the feelings he was feeling; feelings he wasn't allowed to feel. She didn't want him to do that. But he couldn't help it.

While he was waiting for them to come and pick him up, Danny thought about what else he could do. He had called them all; his parents, Flack, who had informed the others, and her parents. There was nothing he could do but wait.

And while doing that, his thoughts started to drift away. He remembered what had just happened around an hour ago.

[FLASHBACK

"Danny? What are you doing here?" Lindsay asked surprised, looking at the man who just entered the living room. "I thought you had to work longer today."

"Yeah, actually, but I could go home earlier," Danny replied, removing his jacket. "How do you feel?"

"Oh, good, good," she answered, but from the tone in her voice he could tell that she didn't feel well.

He walked over to the couch where she was sitting and let himself fall next to her.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, his eyes wandering from her face to her very round belly.

Lindsay sighed deeply. "Okay, you're right. I'm not good. I'm annoyed. Danny, she should have been born ten days ago. How long does she want me to wait?"

Danny couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the look she gave him. She was right, their child should have been born ten days ago; and during these ten days, her mood became worse and worse with every passing day.

"I'm really sorry. Maybe she just loves being inside there," he replied, carefully resting his hand on her stomach.

"Nice. And what about me?" Lindsay pouted. "Danny, what can I do? What can I do so that she finally comes out there?"

"Did you know that sex helps?" Danny asked back, instantly earning a mad look from her.

"Yeah, funny, and where do I get the man for that?" she shot back.

Danny just shrugged. What else could he do? Telling her that he'd appreciate being this guy? He knew her answer. 'Are you kidding me?' she'd say. 'I thought we already had this topic. And what about Amy, huh?'

Amy. Danny sighed when he thought about her. His 'girlfriend'. This was at least what Lindsay was believing. What wasn't true, but he wouldn't dare to tell her that. And if hiding this in front of her wasn't enough, he also started to believe that what had started as a simple friendship, slowly became more for Amy. He could feel that playing his girlfriend wasn't enough for her anymore. Another problem he had to fight with. Life was difficult, he had always known it. But it had never been that difficult before.

"You know what? I'll go to bed now," Lindsay suddenly interrupted him in his thoughts. "The best is, I just sleep the next few days and wait until the young lady here decides that she finally wants to come out."

And with that, she slowly stood up. But after half way of the movement, she suddenly stopped, pressing her hand against her belly before she let herself fall back onto the couch again.

"Damn," she hissed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Montana, are you okay?" Danny asked, instantly moving over to her, taking one of her hands. "What has happened?"

"Maybe me being mad was exactly what she needed," she managed to say between clenched teeth.

"What do you mean with that?"

"What do I mean with that? What do you think? The baby is coming." 

With that she groaned painfully, squeezing his hand so tight that he had to bite on his lips to not shout out. Danny needed a small moment to realize what she had just said. Their baby was coming!

"Would you please tell me how long you want to remain sitting there like this!" Lindsay shouted at him.

Danny didn't need any further encouragement. Swallowing hard to get the rising panic away, he quickly stood up. There was no need to freak out, they had talked about this moment over and over again. He knew what to do. Although he had to admit that real life was very different from theory.

/FLASHBACK

Now they were in the hospital, and Danny was waiting for someone telling him that he could go to Lindsay. He leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. In only a few more hours the two of them were going to have a baby. And everything would get even more complicated.

"Hey Danny," he suddenly heard a familiar voice. He turned around and saw Flack, coming over to him with a huge grin. "Here we are. Your parents will come later."

Instead of responding, Danny just nodded. Flack hadn't come alone. After him, Stella, Hawkes, Mac and Adam entered the waiting room. And Amy.

"I'm sorry, but I thought it'd look a bit strange when your girlfriend isn't here," Flack whispered when he saw the look Danny gave him. He was the only one who knew that Danny and Amy were just faking the relationship, and of course he also knew the reason for that.

But before any of the others could say anything, a nurse walked over to them, turning the entire attention to her.

"Mr. Messer, would you please come with me?" she asked.

Danny just nodded silently and followed the woman. He knew, at least he could have greeted his friends, but right now there were so many thoughts spinning in his mind that he wasn't able to say anything.

The nurse leaded Danny into one of the hospital room, a single room, where Lindsay was lying in bed. She was looking at him, seeming to be relieved, a tiny smile on her pale face. He sat down on the chair next to her, gently taking one of her hands in his.

"How are you?" he asked, gently stroking over the back of her small hand.

"I'm okay, apart from the contractions," Lindsay answered, trying to smile. "The doctor couldn't say how long it'll take until I can finally give birth to her."

"I'll stay here, no matter for how long," Danny replied. "The others are here, too."

"Thank you," Lindsay said. But before she could say more, another contraction hit her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stay quiet. 

Without needing her to say anything, Danny stood up from his chair, sat down on the edge of her bed and closed his arms around her, allowing her to rest her head against his chest. He so desperately wanted to do more for her than just being there. He thought that he'd even take her pain, at least half of it, to make it a bit more bearable for her. But this was impossible, and all he could do was holding her like this, gently rubbing her back and waiting until the pain would get away again. And, as hard as it was for him, he'd not show how much all this affected him, what he was feeling. For her. Because this was something she didn't want to see.

[FLASHBACK

It had been one night. One night they had spent together. One night that had changed everything. At least in his eyes. After a long, hard shift Danny had gone into this bar. Just for a drink or two. And who did he meet there? Her.

Lindsay had been sitting at the bar, staring into her glass. She didn't pay any attention to the looks coming from the other guys, trying her best to just ignore them.

"Hey Montana," he had said and had joined her. He had seen the relieved smile on her face, telling him that she was glad that he was there now. "What are you doing here? At this time, alone?"

Lindsay sighed deeply. "Nothing. I was just bored. And I'm annoyed. Nothing special."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not really. I don't want to bother you."

"You don't bother me. Just tell me- what's the matter?"

Lindsay sighed again, taking a sip of her drink. "Its just...I'm living here for around a year now, but...I still feel so...new. This city is so huge, and full of people, and I anyway feel lonely sometimes."

Danny nodded. He could imagine what she was feeling. She had practically started a complete new life here.

"But now you're not alone anymore," he replied with a grin.

Lindsay just shook her head and smiled at him.

The evening went nice and ended with Danny taking her home to her place. Actually he had planned on going home. Just going home. He only wanted to bring her home. But the moment the door had closed behind him, he could already feel her lips pressed against his. He didn't remember who had made the first step, they just had kissed. And a few minutes later, they had ended up in her bedroom,sharing the most passionate and most intense night he had ever had.

It was around three months later when Danny was sitting in his office. He was bored, and this was never good. Because when he had nothing to do, he thought. And thinking wasn't one of his hobbies at this time. Because all his thoughts were the same- they were about Lindsay and about what had happened between the two of them.

It had been an amazing night. They both agreed about that. But with what had come next, Danny couldn't help but disagree; to his own surprise. She had told him how important he was to her. And that she couldn't deny that she liked him, more than any other guy she knew. But she also told him that she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to go any further, to start anything. From former talk Danny knew that her former relationship had been the pure horror for her, and he could understand that she wasn't ready yet. And so he accepted her wish that they'd just go on, like before, leaving it as a wonderful one-night-stand.

But it had been much more than that. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Especially because he knew that the reason why she kept him away from her was because she was afraid. Afraid because one stupid idiot had made her stop trusting and stop believing that relationships indeed could work.

When Lindsay then entered their shared office, he had no idea that what she'd tell him would completely change everything between them.

"Hey Danny," she greeted him, stopping a few inches next to his desk. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Alarmed by the tone in her voice, Danny looked up at her, shocked noticing the glistering trails of tears on her cheeks. She had tried to wipe them away but hadn't been really successful.

"Of course," he answered. "What can I do for you?"

With a very uncomfortable expression on her face, Lindsay sat down in the chair across of him, taking a deep breath before she answered, "Danny, you know that…that during the last few weeks I didn't feel well. I don't want to talk much. Danny, I…I'm pregnant."

Danny just stared at her for a moment, needing a moment to realize what she had just said. She was pregnant?

"Wow," he then managed to say. "Congratulations."

"It's your baby, Danny," she replied.

It was just one sentence, but this time Danny needed no time to realize what she had told him. She was pregnant. With his child. He could almost feel how his face went pale when he remained staring at her, not able to speak.

"Don't worry," Lindsay continued when he hadn't reacted after what had to be several minutes. "I don't expect anything from you. All I want is that you're a part in the child's life. I don't want it to grow up without a father."

Danny needed another minute until he was finally able to speak again.

"Of course I'll be there, for you and for the baby," he answered without hesitation. "I'll help you, promise. You don't have to handle this on your own."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, of course! I mean, sure, it's a surprise. But I want this. Really."

A slight smile lit Lindsay's face. "Thank you."

/FLASHBACK

While sitting on his chair, reminding the day when she had told him about their baby, he could feel the lump in his throat again. Of course he had promised her to be there for her. Because he wanted to. Not only because of the baby, but also because he wanted her, and he wanted to be together with her. But this hadn't been what she had wanted. She had told him that nothing would change between them, apart from the fact that they were going to have a baby soon. And so he could do nothing else than just playing her friend.

After her last painful contraction, when he had held her tightly in his arms, she had finally fallen asleep. Now she was lying in bed again, wrapped into her blanket, sleeping peacefully. Danny was glad to see her like this, glad that she didn't have any pain at this time.

But he was feeling pain. Pain, that was nothing compared with her contractions. It wasn't even physical pain. While being in this hospital room with her, he once again realized how much it hurt, how much he just wanted to tell her everything, especially about his feelings.

When the door suddenly was opened, Danny almost jumped. He turned around and saw Stella, who peeked into the room.

"May I come in?" she whispered.

Danny just nodded in response and Stella slowly entered the room.

"How is she?" she asked, looking at her sleeping friend.

"She's okay. Just exhausted by the pain," Danny replied. He saw Stella nodding before she turned her look away from Lindsay and to him. She stared at him for at least a minute, until Danny started to wonder why she was doing that. "What?"

"Nothing," Stella answered. "I was just wondering- is everything okay between you and Amy?"

Danny couldn't help but just stare at Stella in disbelief. What? Amy? Why the hell did she think about Amy now?

"Why?" he asked back.

"Oh, maybe because you didn't even really look at her when we arrived. That's not how you behave in front of your girlfriend."

Danny sighed deeply. Yes, of course, Stella didn't know that he and Amy weren't together. This was one of the moments when he regretted what he had done. But in his eyes, it had been his only chance. After Lindsay had told him that he was going to be a father, he had hoped that now he could spend more time with her.

He had thought about how it would be to have a baby with her, and he liked the idea. He wanted to be an important part in the child's life. But Lindsay had continued keeping a distance between them. Until he had just asked her why she was doing that. It had been when she already had been five months pregnant.

[FLASHBACK

"Lindsay, can I talk to you for a minute?" Danny had asked her when he had finally managed to meet her without her being together with anyone else. They were standing in the break room, which luckily was empty.

"Sure, what can I do for you?" Lindsay asked back, sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Why are you doing this?" Danny instantly asked what he wanted to know, joining her at her table.

"Why am I doing what?"

"Behaving like this. Why…why are you running away from me? I even have the feeling that sometimes you're hiding in front of me. Why? Lindsay, all I want is…being a part of this."

Lindsay sighed deeply before she answered, "You know that it's not just this. It's not just because of the baby."

"But…" Danny tried to contradict. "That's not true, Lindsay. It's not…because the two of us."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. Because…I have a girlfriend," Danny lied, instantly regretting what he had said. Damn, how could he say that? Where the hell should he get a girlfriend now?

"Oh, yeah?" Lindsay replied, surprised raising her eyebrows.

"Yes," Danny answered, desperately searching for an explanation, when he suddenly got an idea. "It's…Amy. You know?"

"Amy?" Lindsay repeated. "Oh, Amy! I know her! That's great. Since when? And how did you get together with her?"

And Danny started to tell. He started to tell her a story he quickly fabricated for her. A story about how he and Amy had gotten together and how long they were together. And while talking, he cursed himself. What the hell was he doing? Was he just telling her that he had a girlfriend although he hadn't? How should he get out of this lie?

But while talking, Danny realized that Lindsay started to open up to him again. The distance between them started to shrink. And so Danny decided that he had to talk to Amy. And he had to think about how he could tell her that they were together now, at least for Lindsay. In his eyes, he needed her to play his girlfriend if he wanted to be a part of Lindsay's and their child's life. He had realized that she'd keep him on a distance as long as she thought he was still interested in her. Telling her that he accepted her wish hadn't been enough. She needed facts. Like a girlfriend. At this moment, he hadn't known how many problems he'd have because of that.

/FLASHBACK

"Danny?" Stella asked when the younger man hadn't responded to her after what had to be five minutes. "Danny, I know, I shouldn't interfere, but…you really have to talk to Amy."

Danny sighed deeply, shaking his head. He knew, Stella just wanted to help, but at this moment she was just confusing him even more.

"Stella, I'm sorry, but right now I'm not in the mood to talk, okay?" he said, trying to not sound too annoyed by her.

Stella just raised her eyebrows at him. "Of course I understand that you're nervous. You're going to be a father. But she's your girlfriend…"

"Stella, please," Danny interrupted her, fighting hard against the urge to just tell her that he and Amy weren't a couple. "I will talk to her some time. But not now. Right now I'm here, with Lindsay. She can wait."

"Danny, may I ask you something?" Stella suddenly asked, and the tone in her voice made him even more nervous. He nodded slowly. "Could it be that Amy isn't the one you're really in love with? Could it be that Lindsay is the one you have these feelings for?"

Danny couldn't help but stare at Stella, his eyes widened in shock. Of course she was right with what she said, but she wasn't supposed to know that. And once again Danny realized how complicated everything in his life seemed to be at this time. And he couldn't deny that it was his own fault. Things had been complicated since the beginning, but he had somehow managed to make it even worse. But, as much as he liked to just scream out that Lindsay was the one he loved and he wanted to be together with, he couldn't do it.

And so he just answered, "Stella, I know, you do that because you want to help me. And maybe also Amy. But…I'm sorry, I really can't concentrate on that right now. Please, let me clarify that later, okay?"

He gave her a pleading look. And this time he was successful. Stella just nodded and gave him a small, supportive smile.

"Okay, do what you think what's right," she answered and with that left the room again.

Danny turned his attention back to Lindsay, who was still asleep. Everything could be so easy. He had never had so strong feelings for a woman before. Of course he could understand her fear. But he was different. Why couldn't she just give them a try? And why had he started all these lies? He should have known that it would just make things worse.

And while all these thoughts were spinning in his mind, Danny headed over to the door of the hospital room. After throwing another short glance at Lindsay, he left the room. He needed to get out, he needed to be on his own. At least for a minute.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Here's the next chapter. The last one had been from Danny's POV, this one will be from Lindsay's POV.**

When Lindsay woke up, she needed a moment to realize where she was. She instantly got the answer when she felt a painful contraction. Her eyes remained closed and as good as she could, she concentrated on her breathing, trying to do what the nurse had told her. After what had to be several minutes, the pain finally became more and more bearable.

She sighed relieved when she felt the pain disappearing again. After another minute, she opened her eyes. She knew where she was; she was lying in a hospital bed. And hopefully she'd give birth to her daughter soon.

A tiny smile lit her face when she thought about this; she'd finally have her baby soon. How long had she waited for this moment, for this day? The entire pregnancy she had been excited. She had always wanted to have children, and although she was nervous, she was pretty sure that she'd be a good mother.

Everything at home was prepared for the baby. During the last days, she had watched her body very closely. Actually the date of birth had been ten days ago, and she was slowly getting worried. Why did the little girl need so long? Then, today, she had seriously doubted that she could wait any longer. Lindsay had clearly enjoyed being pregnant, but now she had enough of this.

But her prayers had been heard. Today she had finally gotten in labour, and now it was only a question of hours.

Lindsay was glad that she was in the hospital now. She had been afraid that she could be surprised by the contractions and might have to give birth at home. But luckily Danny had been there and had taken her to the hospital

When she thought about her baby's father, Lindsay eyes widened. Danny. Hadn't he been in her room before she had fallen asleep? Her eyes wandered to the chair next to her bed where he had sat before. Now she was alone in the room. But where was he?

Lindsay didn't know why, but she suddenly felt nervous. Where had he gone to? Had he left her alone? Hadn't he just told her that he'd stay, no matter how long? She knew that the sudden fear was unnecessary; it wasn't the first time that she overreacted. But although she knew that she had to calm down again, and although she was also used to go through difficult situations on her own, without any support, she wished him to come back. As fast as possible.

FLASHBACK

When Lindsay had noticed the first pregnancy symptoms, she had tried to ignore them. But after a while, this had become impossible. One day she couldn't bear it anymore. In the lunch break she had rushed to a pharmacy and had bought a pregnancy test. The result was clear; she was definitely pregnant.

Her first reaction had been shock. Of course she instantly knew who the father of the baby was. During the time she had been in New York, she had had sex once, and this had been the night with Danny.

The night with him hadn't been planned. After her last relationship, she had sworn to herself to never get close to a man again. It didn't matter if this meant to be alone, without a partner; in her eyes being alone was more bearable than being hurt again.

But after spending the night together with her co-worker and friend she quickly realized that she had gone too far. Her instinct had told her that he had read much more in this one night than she wanted him to, and she couldn't deny that she was doing the same. But she had to stop this. She had to stop it before their feelings could get any deeper.

And so she had told him to just leave it as a one-night-stand, to just go on like before. But after she had found out that she was pregnant, she knew that this wasn't possible. They couldn't do as if nothing had happened. This baby would unite them, no matter if she wanted it or not. And she wouldn't lie to him; he deserved to know that he was going to be a father.

And so she had instantly gone to him and had told him everything. And, to Lindsay's surprise but also relief, he had promised her to be there when she needed him, to be a part in their baby's life. She couldn't deny that she was grateful for that. But this also meant that she had to be closer with him. And this would be difficult for her.

But it seemed as if this changed when she found out about his girlfriend. Lindsay knew that Danny and Amy knew each other for a long time, and hearing that they were together, actually was a solution for her problem; she could be sure that he'd only be interested in the baby, not in her.

At least this was what she had thought. But she had been wrong. Since she knew that Danny and Amy seemed to be a couple, Lindsay started to realize that this also wasn't what she had wanted. She wasn't jealous, but the fact that he had a girlfriend while she was expecting his child wasn't an enjoyable one. But why? Why couldn't she just be glad that he had found one? And the longer she thought about that, the more it confused her. Luckily she wasn't alone with her thoughts, and one evening she finally took the chance and talked to Hawkes, the only one who knew almost everything about her.

"Hey, Sheldon," she called him when he just passed her office. When he stopped, she waved him to come in.

"Hey Linds," he greeted her. "I thought, you already went home."

"Yeah, well," Lindsay replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "My shift already ended, but…I wanted to talk to you. If it's okay to you."

"Do you really have to ask?" Hawkes asked back and sat down in the other free chair. "What can I do for you?"

Lindsay sighed, searching for the right words. She had still problems with just talking about what she was thinking or feeling. After she had managed to escape her last relationship, she had completely shut herself away from all surrounding people. She had needed a long while to learn talking again. But somehow she had managed to do it, and Hawkes had been the first one whom she had told everything about her. After him, she had also opened up to Danny, but she hadn't told him every detail of her old life.

She looked up at Hawkes, who was waiting for her to start, and after taking a deep breath, she finally talked.

"I don't know what's going on with me," she said. "You…you remember that I told you that I don't want any relationships anymore, at least not for the next time. That's why I told Danny that what we had was nothing else than a one-night-stand. And that's why I kept him on a distance. But…but now, after he told me that he's together with Amy, I…I'm still not happy. I don't know why, but I don't like the idea of him…being together with her. Why am I feeling like this?"

With a pleading look, she waited for her friend to answer. She really needed an advice.

"Well, Lindsay," Hawkes then answered. "I'm not in your mind. But do you want to hear my honest opinion?" When Lindsay nodded, he continued, "I think, you just try to tell yourself that you don't want him. But it's not true. You want to be together with him, Lindsay. Don't misunderstand me, but I think otherwise you wouldn't have slept with him, because you're not the sort of a woman who does something like this. You have feelings for him, and that's why you don't want him to have a girlfriend."

Lindsay just stared at him for a moment. And to her surprise she realized that she had already awaited such an answer. Could he be right with what he had said? Did she have feelings for Danny? She couldn't deny that she had. But the intensity of them was shocking her.

Lindsay and Hawkes talked about this topic for almost half an hour, until Lindsay decided to go home. But even when she was lying in bed later, she couldn't stop thinking about their conversation. Actually it was obvious that she was indeed just suppressing her feelings. But she couldn't change that. As much as she hated seeing Danny with another woman, she wouldn't tell him what she was really feeling. Not yet.

/FLASHBACK

Lindsay didn't know how much time had passed since she had woken up in the hospital room. She only knew that she was getting nervous with every passing moment.

But before she could continue thinking about the worst theories why Danny left her alone, the door of the hospital room went open and said man entered the room.

"Hey Lindsay, you're awake again," he greeted her, walking over to her. "How do you feel?"

"I'm okay," she replied, not really saying the truth with that. "Where…have you been?"

"Oh, I just…needed to get some fresh air," he answered, sitting down on the chair next to her bed again. He gently took one of her hands in his. "But now I won't go away again."

Lindsay didn't reply to that. She just kept their eye contact for a moment. And again she caught herself by wishing that he'd do what he had just said. That he wouldn't go away. Would never leave her alone again. But Lindsay knew that it was her own fault that she didn't have what she actually wished for so much. She had kept him away from him. Now he had a girlfriend.

_Maybe I should just concentrate on the baby, _she thought. _I wanted it this way, so I have no right to complain._

When Lindsay had hoped that after her arrival at the hospital, the baby would be born in the next time, she had been wrong. Several hours passed, and the little girl still seemed to not want to be born yet.

After around ten hours had passed. Lindsay, who hadn't wanted to have any kind of pain killers, had now reached a point where she wasn't just exhausted but also in a horrible mood. The pain was torturing her and she had no idea how many hours had to pass until she finally could give birth.

During these hours their friends, who tried to stay at the hospital as long as possible, had visited her one after the other. Lindsay knew that everyone of them was excited and that they all wanted to be there for her. But as grateful as she was for that, their presence just exhausted her even more.

But to her luck she had Danny. After everyone had made his or her short visit in Lindsay's hospital room, he politely told them that she needed some rest, and some quiet as well. And so, during the last few hours, Lindsay had been alone with her child's father.

But apart from the fact that Danny spent almost every single minute together with her, holding her hand, massaging her back and fulfilling every wish she had, she also noticed that although so many hours had passed and she knew that Amy was in the waiting room as well, the two hadn't spoken even one word yet. Even when Amy had visited her for a few minutes, Danny had almost ignored her.

Lindsay didn't know what to think about that. On the one side his behaviour was confusing her. But on the other side she was almost happy that he paid much more attention to her than to his girlfriend.

The more hours Lindsay had to spend in her hospital room, and the more time she had to think, the more she could feel a slight fear rising inside her. She hadn't had this fear before. All the time before, when she planned how living with a baby would be, she had always looked forward to it. She had always thought that she could handle it, and with some help from Danny, who'd visit her as often as he could, it wouldn't be a problem to raise the little girl.

But, while lying in her bed, knowing that it was only a question of hours until she'd have the baby, she slowly started to panic. Was she really ready for this? Was she ready for raising a child? Was she ready for being a working single mother? Sure, she and Danny would share their responsibility as parents, but in the end she'd be the one who lived together with the child.

And while realizing this, Lindsay more and more regretted what she had done. Why hadn't she just trusted in Danny? They had been so close, and she knew that their shared night had been much more than just sex. They both knew that. And anyway she had pushed him away. Had told him to just be friends. Even after finding out about her pregnancy.

She could have had him. She knew that he had wanted to be together with her, she had clearly felt it. But although deep inside she knew and had always known that she was feeling the same, she hadn't been able to admit it. But why? Maybe because these feelings had frightened her? Because she had been afraid of the consequences? Her last relationship had been one of her worst experiences she had ever had. Was the only reason why she had pushed Danny away her fear that he could hurt her? This was possible. But now, now it was too late to talk about this, or even think about it. Because Danny had a girlfriend. And no matter if the two of them were happy or not, she wouldn't ruin what they had. She had wanted to do this alone, and she'd do it.

And then the moment finally had come. After what seemed to be eternity, Lindsay was finally brought into the delivery room. She was getting closer and closer to the moment she had waited for for months.

And, like he had promised, Danny was at her side all the time. He was talking to her a lot, trying everything to keep her as calm as possible, all the time holding her hand in his, in a tight, supportive grip. It was just a little gesture, but it was enough to have the wished affect. The warmth, which seemed to come through Danny's hand, and the fact that at this moment she wasn't alone, gave Lindsay the strength she needed.

But while giving birth, Lindsay could clearly feel her exhaustion, caused by all the hours before. All she wanted was this moment to get over. Tears were running down her cheeks when she was fighting with the almost unbearable pain.

Danny, who was sitting at the top of the bed, seemed to see that Lindsay's strength was shrinking with every passing moment, and as good as he could, he moved closer to her, holding her a bit tighter.

"Come on, sweetie," he whispered into her ear, gently stroking through her damp hair. "You can do that. I know it."

Lindsay, not able to respond anything, looked up at him, straight into his eyes. The look she saw in them almost shocked her. There was so much intensity, so much warmth. So much love. Not only for their child. And the tears of her exhaustion were joined by tears of desperation.

"I…I can't do that," she managed to say.

"You can. Only a few more pushes."

"I'm not talking about that," Lindsay sobbed, tightening her grip around his hand. "I can't do…that. Raising a child. Alone. I can't do that without you, Danny."

"You don't have to," he answered, all the time keeping their eye contact.

Although it was just a short little sentence, Lindsay believed him. Something in this intense gaze was telling her that he was saying the truth. Something was telling her that he wouldn't leave her alone, never.

And only a minute later, the room was filled with another noise, with the noise of a baby's first cry. The moment Lindsay heard her baby cry, she couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. She was completely exhausted and tired, but everything seemed to be forgotten. When Lindsay laid eyes on the baby girl for the first time, all she wanted was just holding her.

The nurse handed the little baby over to her, and the moment she felt the small bundle lying in her arms and saw the huge, blue eyes of her daughter looking up at her, she was instantly caught by the small person. Everything around her seemed to be forgotten. All that mattered was the baby girl in her arms. Her daughter. Hers and Danny's daughter.

After a short moment of just staring at her baby, gently stroking her, Lindsay moved her head a bit until she could look at Danny. She could see the tears in his eyes and the smile, the smile that never missed its affect on her. Lindsay felt as if only she, Danny and their daughter were in the small room; the whole world with all its problems seemed to be so far away.

And all she wished for was that this moment would stay. It would be too perfect. If there wasn't the fact that she had told him to be just friends. And if there wasn't his girlfriend. But at this moment she didn't know that he had a secret. A secret that possibly would give them the opportunity to have what they actually had wished for all the time.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Here's finally the next chapter.**

**Huge thanks to HillHarperHOT for beta'ing!**

While watching Lindsay and their baby, Danny couldn't help but think that he had never felt this happy in his life before. He still couldn't stop thinking about the almost magical moment they had shared after the baby's birth. There had been such a strong, intense tension between them, something he had never experienced with any other woman before. Maybe it could just be because of the baby.

But he didn't think so. He clearly remembered the expression in Lindsay's eyes while giving birth. She had been afraid. Afraid that she wouldn't be able to raise their child on her own. Which, in his eyes, had never been an issue. She wouldn't raise their baby alone, they'd do it together. He just didn't know how they wanted to do that. Even though he had felt the strong connection between them, he still wasn't sure what exactly Lindsay might be feeling, or thinking about him. She had always told him to always be friends, and had been relieved when he had told her about him and Amy. Because then there hadn't been the opportunity that maybe he could want more than just a friendship.

But was it possible that he had been wrong with what he had thought? Was it possible that there was more between them, coming from both sides? What if she had just not dared to tell him what was going on deep inside her? It was possible. Danny didn't know every little detail about Lindsay's past, but he knew that her last relationship must have been horrible for her. He didn't know what her former boyfriend had done to her. But it could explain why she was afraid to let him in. Why she had tried to keep him on a distance. He just wondered why he hadn't thought about this sooner.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" Lindsay's voice interrupted him in his thoughts. Slowly getting back to reality, Danny looked at her.

"What?" he asked.

"The fact that we have a baby now," Lindsay answered, her eyes still focused on their child, while her head was resting against his shoulder. "She's so cute; I can't stop staring at her. I'd walk through hell for her."

"Yes, me, too," Danny agreed.

And for you as well, he thought. He wished he could just say it, but at this moment, he was still afraid to scare her away. The fact that they were so close and still so far apart was almost hurting physically. He wanted nothing else than just hold her, kiss her, tell her how much he loved her, always had loved her, and always would love her. But he couldn't. It was just too complicated. She didn't even know that Amy wasn't really his girlfriend.

Deep in his thoughts, Danny didn't notice how Lindsay had finally managed to tear her eyes away from the baby and was now watching him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, catching is attention.

"Sure," Danny answered. His eyes met hers, causing him to shudder lightly. He saw a small smile lighting her face, making her look less tired and exhausted.

"I also wanted to say thank you," she said quietly. "Thank you for being there all the hours, and in the delivery room. And thanks for promising to be there for me. I...I'll...need you...I can't do it without any help."

"She's our daughter, so we'll raise her together. That was always clear to me," Danny answered. When he saw her smiling even more, he had fight hard against the urge to just grab her and kiss her. He missed her so much. Luckily their relationship had gotten better after he had told her about Amy. But he always was afraid to do something wrong. He missed the good old times, before he knew how much she'd step away from him.

His eyes wandered back to their child, feeling that she was still watching him. Minutes passed until she spoke again.

"I was just wondering...don't you want to hold her?" she asked. He looked back at her for a brief moment, not sure how to react. Yes, even though almost an hour had passed since the baby's birth, he still hadn't held her yet. Should he just tell her that it was frightening him a bit? But he quickly pushed this thought away again and nodded.

Lindsay carefully handed the little baby over to him. The moment he was holding her in his arms, the fear he could hurt, or even drop her, instantly disappeared. The little girl already had him wrapped around her finger, the moment he had seen her for the first time. But holding her, feeling how she instinctively snuggled against him, was different. She had opened her eyes again, now staring him straight into his. They had the same intense blue his had, but everything else in her little face reminded him of her mother. How would he ever be able to forbid her anything when she had so much of his great love?

Danny was impressed by the intense moment between him and his daughter, only caused by their eye contact. Sure, she had known that he was going to be a father. And he knew what this meant. He had heard a lot about how it would be to have a child, and about the fact that a paternal instinct was as great as a maternal instinct. Now he knew that this was true. If he had ever doubted if he wanted to have children, he now knew that he definitely wanted this.

"It's amazing how she catches you with those eyes," he heard Lindsay's voice, quiet and shaking lightly. He looked up at her, seeing the mix of happiness and sadness in her eyes. He didn't need much imagination to know what had caused those confusing mix of feelings. He didn't have any evidence for it, but deep inside Danny felt that Lindsay was as sure about her decision to keep them as friend as she had seemed to be all the times before.

But before he could respond more, he heard a knocking at the door. The moment he turned around, the door was opened and Flack's head appeared.

"Hey, I really don't want to disturb but...can we come in? We finally want to see the little girl," he said, almost pleading.

Danny and Lindsay shared a short glance before Lindsay nodded and Danny said, "Yes, come in."

He carefully handed the baby back to Lindsay. The little girl whimpered slightly, before she snuggled back against her mother's chest, closing her eyes again. The room was quickly filled with Flack, Stella, Mac and Hawkes, who wanted to see the newborn child. The last who entered the room, was Amy. Insecure, her eyes wandered first to Lindsay and then to Danny, who was as insecure as she was. He hated moments like this, when Amy and Lindsay were together in the same room. It was hard for him to pretend being together with her, especially in an emotional moment like this. And he also hated the fact that he practically used Amy like this. He still couldn't believe that she had really agreed to play his girlfriend. But the longer they had played a couple, the more he had realized that Amy's thoughts about him were changing. She didn't say it, but he knew her long enough to feel it. She was changing, starting to feel more than she had planned to, more than he'd ever be able to feel for her. And he knew he was the one who had to act, to work this out.

When Amy walked over to him, all the time throwing short glances in Lindsay's direction, he pulled her close enough so that he could whisper into her ear.

"I think, we should talk later," Danny said. Amy nodded slightly. She completely agreed with him; there were a lot of things they had to clarify.

Their friends stayed in the hospital room for several minutes, all admiring the little baby, who had just gone back to sleep, totally ignoring all the attention she was getting. But Danny wasn't the only one who had noticed that Lindsay was getting more and more tired again. She had hardly slept for hours, and still was exhausted. When she was barely able to keep her eyes open, Danny decided to take charge of the situation.

"It was really wonderful that you all stayed here at the hospital, and were here," he began. "But I think Lindsay still needs to rest, and we should let her sleep, at least a bit."

"Yes," Hawkes agreed, smiling at Lindsay. "You should sleep a bit. You'll need all the sleep you can get, because you know, having a baby won't let you have enough opportunities to rest."

The others laughed, but every one of them agreed that Danny and Hawkes were right. After saying good-bye, they all left the room, until there was only Danny left. He took the baby out of Lindsay's arms and put her back into her little bed, before he turned his attention back to her.

"I'll be right back. I'll just...go out for a few minutes," he said while she already lay down, pulling her blanket tight around herself. She nodded in response. Danny waited for a few more minutes, making sure that the baby and Lindsay were asleep, before he left the room as well.

He didn't need long to find who he was looking for. Amy was sitting in the waiting room again, alone. Danny went over to her and sat down next to her. They were silent for a while until Amy broke the silence.

"How do you feel now?" she asked.

"Happy, tired, exhausted, confused..." Danny started to tell. Amy nodded.

"Yes, confused...that's something I agree with you," she answered, smiling at him half-heartedly.

"I know," Danny replied, guilt rising inside him. "This whole situation is confusing. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be," Amy contradicted. "I mean, sure, I still think you made a mistake with telling her that we're together. But I should have never agreed with you to play that we're together. I should have known that it wouldn't work. That it...would go wrong."

"I should have known it as well," Danny answered quietly. He could feel that she was sad, and it almost broke his heart. He knew Amy for a long time, and she had always been a good friend. He cursed himself for being the reason why she felt sad now. But there was only one thing they could do, even though it would possibly hurt even more.

"We should...stop it," he then said. He saw her tensing slightly before she nodded. "I...I mean, I...don't want to hurt you. It was naive that I started this with the idea that it would work. Things like this never work. I just wish I...wouldn't have hurt you. I should have stopped it the moment I noticed for the first time that it was slowly getting out of control. I'm sorry."

Danny couldn't help but say it over and over again; he hadn't wanted to hurt her, and he was sorry. He had trusted in their friendship, and that it'd work. But he had been so busy with his own feelings that he hadn't noticed that Amy had slowly started to feel more, until it had been too late.

"Don't be sorry," Amy repeated again. "It's...okay I think. And I agree with you. We should...stop it now, before it starts to hurt even more." And after a brief moment of silence, she added, "And please, do me a favour, okay?" When he nodded, she continued, "Please, finally tell her what you're feeling. Stop this stupid game. Maybe she'll be scared, or shocked, and maybe she'll step away from you. All this can happen. It's one possibility. But the other one, the more logical one, is that she'll tell you she's feeling the same. Maybe she'll need some time. But believe me when I tell you that you're not just a friend for her. So stop this game and be honest to her. Will you do that?"

Danny hesitated for a moment. Then he nodded.

"I promise," he said honestly. Even though it'd be hard, and very difficult, Danny knew that there was no way to not talk to her. He had to open up to Lindsay. She deserved to know what he was feeling for her. They had a strong connection, not only because of their child. There was more between them, on both sides. Now his job was to talk to her, and to show her that not all men would hurt her. He just had to figure out how.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for reading! This is the last chapter of the story. Enjoy it!**

**Huge thanks to my beta HillHarperHOT!**

When Lindsay had woken up again, she was alone in her hospital room. She knew that Danny had told her he wanted to go for a few minutes. She wondered why he wasn't back yet, but also didn't know how long she had slept.

She stretched in her bed, sighing lightly. Compared with how she had felt during the last few hours, she felt fantastic now. Lindsay had finally managed to sleep, to get her energy back. And, what was even better, she didn't have to wait for her baby to be born anymore.

Lindsay's eyes wandered over to the small bed, standing next to hers. The little girl was deep asleep, lying on her side so that Lindsay could see her. While watching her sleeping daughter, she could feel a strong, warm feeling rising inside her. She changed her position a bit until she was able to reach over to the bed. She gently stroked over the baby's back, feeling how she tensed lightly but continued sleeping.

Once again, Lindsay could feel tears rising in her eyes. She was impressed by the strong emotions the fact, that she was a mother now, caused inside her. If it was up to her, she'd hold her baby in her arms all day, never giving her away again. She just wanted to hold her, watch her, look into those intense, deep blue eyes which were a perfect copy of her father's.

A tiny smile lit Lindsay's face when her thoughts turned to Danny. Although he had promised to always be there for her, to support her, whenever she'd need him, she still had been afraid that he could change his mind some time. She still had problems with simply trusting in people, and he was no exception. But he had proved once again that he was different.

When her thoughts drifted back to the moment in the delivery room, when she had been so close to giving up, fighting with the pain, the exhaustion and the fear, her heart instantly beat faster. The fear and panic that she'd have to go through all this had almost overwhelmed her. But he had managed to calm her down again. Just by telling her that he'd be there for her. She clearly remembered this intense moment between them. She had believed him, every single word. And she had seen the tears in his eyes after their child had been born. No, he would never leave her alone.

But Lindsay had already realized that him being there wasn't enough for her. If she was honest, she wanted more. She wanted him, not just as her baby's father. And the fact that she could have had exactly this was driving her crazy. She had been the one who had kept him at a distance, had told him that she didn't want to be together with him. So was it a surprise that he had gotten together with another woman. What had she expected? That he'd wait anyway, even though he obviously had no chance? No, of course not.

Lindsay cursed herself for her earlier behaviour. Everything could be so different now. They could be together, could raise their child like a real family. But when she'd leave the hospital, she'd come back into her old apartment, where she'd live with their daughter, alone. While he possibly was together with another woman.

The longer Lindsay thought about this, the more she became mad, started to hate herself for her decisions. Everything could have been so great, if she hadn't pushed him away, so far that there was no way they could get back together again. He was sweet, and caring. But he had Amy now.

When the door to her room suddenly was opened and Danny came in, Lindsay could feel her heart beating faster again. How was it possible that she had seriously told him to stay friends when she was feeling like this? Hawkes had been right when he had told her that she had always had feelings for him, otherwise she wouldn't have slept with him. But there was no way to let him know that.

"Hey, you're awake again?" he asked her, giving her a warm smile. "I thought you were tired." His eyes travelled over to the small bed next to hers. "You should do what she's doing."

Lindsay chuckled lightly, watching him when he walked over to their daughter's bed. He carefully stroked over her rosy cheeks, making sure that he didn't wake her up.

"You can't get enough of her, right?" Lindsay asked in a low voice.

"No. Not surprising though. She's just too adorable," Danny answered, again smiling at her. "She looks like you."

"But she has your eyes," Lindsay replied, remembering the intense blue of the baby's eyes, which she had noticed the moment she had seen her for the first time.

"A perfect mix," he answered. He remained looking at the sleeping child for another moment before he turned his attention back to her, a serious look on his face that instantly made her feel nervous.

"Is something wrong?" Lindsay asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Danny shook his head, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "No, nothing wrong. It's just...we have to talk."

Lindsay slightly raised her eyebrows. They had to talk? About what?

"It's because of Amy," Danny added.

The moment he had spoken out the other woman's name, Lindsay's eyes widened. They had to talk because of Amy? What did he want to tell her now? Within a second, the worst case scenarios were spinning in Lindsay's mind not allowing her to form a clear thought. She could imagine a lot of possible ways this conversation would go.

"What's with her?" Lindsay asked, this time really not wishing to hear his answer.

"I...just talked to her," he started, seeming to feel very uncomfortable in his current situation. "I talked to her because we had to clarify some...things. Lindsay, there's something you don't know and...I...I don't want to...go on like this anymore. It was wrong since I started it, and I...I can't do that anymore."

He stopped again, looking away from her. Lindsay thought that her heart had stopped for a moment. She felt cold shivers running through her body. What would he say next? What didn't she know? And, even more important, what did he want to stop? Had he just lied to her when he had told her to always be there, to be a part of hers and the baby's life?

"What is it?" Lindsay asked, desperately trying to prevent her voice from shaking.

Danny sighed deeply before he looked back at her. "Amy and I...the thing between us...it never was real. We just...played as if we were together, but we weren't. But I can't do that anymore, and she as well. It was slowly getting out of control, and we stopped that. It...it was a stupid idea."

When he had finished, Lindsay couldn't help but just stare at him for a moment. She couldn't believe what he had just told her. Danny and Amy never had been together? They had just faked everything?

"Why?" was all she managed to say.

The answer seem to be even more difficult for Danny. "Because...of you. It's just...I didn't know what to do. I want to be honest; you were right when you told me that I'm not just interested in the baby. I...I wanted you. The whole time. But you kept me away, and stepped away from me more and more. I...I didn't know what to do. You remember our talk when I told you that I have a girlfriend? It was a sudden reaction. I know I should have clarified that immediately. But...from this time on you...finally accepted me. I didn't want to lose you, and so...Amy and I played that we were together. I'm sorry."

Lindsay could see the desperation in Danny's eyes, the fear about her reaction. But there was only one thought in her mind.

"You lied to me?" she asked, her voice shaking. "You...you told me you had a girlfriend, and lied at me the whole time."

"I know, and it was wrong, but...I was so afraid you would push me away completely," Danny tried to explain.

"This doesn't change that it was a damn lie," Lindsay hissed, her view already foggy with tears. "I can't believe it. How could you lie? How? I trusted in you."

She stared at him, waiting for an answer, still not believing what she had just heard. Danny stared back, obviously trying to find an answer, before she suddenly saw his expression changing.

"You say you trusted in me?" he asked back, now hissing as well. "You want to tell me you trusted in me? Then please tell me- why didn't you just believe me? Why did I have to tell you that I had a girlfriend to get a chance? Lindsay, you kept me away, and I was desperate because I had no idea what to do or how to show you that I wanted to be a part of all this. I had no chance to do anything. Now I know, lying and playing this game was wrong. But maybe you could at least try to understand me. Maybe...you should just...think about this. I can understand that you don't want to talk to me now. I'll just...leave you alone for a bit now."

With that he stood up and headed to the door, almost fleeing out of her room. Lindsay stared at the closed door, tears running down her cheeks. The fact that he had only played that he and Amy were together, and so actually had lied, was hurting. But she wasn't just mad at him, for not saying the truth. She was also mad at herself. Because she did understand him. She had pushed him away, had only let him in when he had told her that he had a girlfriend, and so didn't have interest in a relationship with her. He couldn't know that after that she suddenly had changed her mind and had realized that she was feeling more.

All those thoughts were spinning in Lindsay's mind, until she couldn't bear them anymore. Her silent tears changed into sobbing. She didn't pay any attention to the noises she was making, which was instantly answered by her crying daughter. Trying to wipe away her tears, Lindsay moved over to the bed, taking the baby in her arms, trying to calm her. Holding the small person tight in her arms, her tears just increased, making it impossible for her to calm down again.

Lindsay didn't hear how the door to her room was opened again. She didn't notice that she was alone in the room until she felt how someone wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She looked up, for the first time noticing Hawkes, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, a concerned look in his eyes. Without saying a word, he took the baby out of her arms, who instantly stopped crying again, and put her back into her bed, before he turned his attention back to the still sobbing Lindsay.

"I just saw Danny, and the way he looked I could just imagine that something happened between the two of you," he said. "So what's going on here?"

Lindsay needed a moment before she was calm enough to speak again. Although she was sad and confused, she was glad that he was there. Hawkes was the only one who knew everything about her, and she knew she could always talk to him.

"He...he just told me that he and Amy weren't together. They just faked it all. He lied at me, Sheldon, the whole time. He said he did it because he didn't know what else to do, because I kept him away from me. He was afraid to lose me, and thought that this was the only way," she managed to answer, new tears already running down her cheeks.

Hawkes gently pulled her into her arms, letting her cry. He could imagine how bad she was feeling, and that she needed comfort. He waited until her sobbing became quieter and quieter before he started to speak.

"Do you want to hear what I think about all this?" he asked when he was sure that she would listen to him again. When she nodded slightly, he continued, "I think, Danny's idea to fake a relationship was a stupid idea. It couldn't work, and it was clear that some time it'd come out. And it was wrong that he lied. But to be honest, in some way I can understand why he did it. I don't know exactly what he's feeling for you. But that he has feelings for you is clear. He was afraid to lose you when you'd find out that he wanted more than just being the father of your child. He didn't know how to convince you, how to make you believe him. From what I know about him, he decided a bit too quick, and later didn't know how to get out of this. For him, it obviously was the only way to be near you."

"But why...why didn't he just talk to me?" Lindsay wanted to know.

Hawkes couldn't help but smile at her. "I think it was the same reason why you told him that you want the two of you stay friends- he was afraid."

"You can't compare that," Lindsay contradicted.

"I think you can," Hawkes answered. "Lindsay, of course it's not the same. But if you think about it, the two of you did the same, for the same reason. He lied because he was afraid to lose you when you'd find out about his real feelings for you. And then he didn't know how to get out of this situation without making it worse. And you, you lied to him by telling him that it was just a one-night-stand, that the two of you should stay friends. Lindsay, if you're honest, you can't deny that you always felt something for him. And later, when you found out he had a girlfriend, you realized that you made a mistake and didn't know what to do. You both hurt each other with your behaviour, and now you're both desperate and don't know what to do next."

He looked at Lindsay, waiting for her to respond. Hawkes could practically see the thoughts running through her mind. He knew that she'd realize he was right. Both of his friends had gotten themselves into a difficult situation.

"And what should we do now?" Lindsay finally asked, causing Hawkes to smile again when he realized that mentally she agreed with him.

"I'd say you should talk. And forgive each other. You both made mistakes. Don't let this ruin everything, okay?"

Lindsay hesitated a moment before she nodded. She knew that her friend was right. They both had gotten themselves into this situation, and they had to figure out how to get out of it again. Hawkes stayed in Lindsay's room for a few more minutes until the door was opened once again.

When Danny came in, Lindsay noticed the very uncomfortable look he gave her, almost as if he wished to run away again. With a smile, Hawkes stood up again.

"I think, there's a lot the two of you have to clarify," he said before he left and closed the door again.

After hesitating for another brief moment, Danny finally went over to Lindsay.

"Can we talk without yelling at each other?" he asked. When she nodded, he sat down on her bed again. He was silent for another minute, before he spoke. "I just talked to Flack, and he almost beat me to go back to your room and talk to you. I'm really sorry, Lindsay, I never wanted to hurt you. I just...didn't know what to do."

Lindsay nodded. During the talk with Hawkes, she had made a decision, and even though she knew the following talk wouldn't be easy, she finally wanted to do it.

"I can really understand you," she answered. "But...the fact that you lied...it just hurt. The main reason why I act how I act is...because of my former relationship. My last boyfriend...we had the worst relationship I ever had. In the beginning everything was just perfect. And I really loved him. I trusted him. I would have done everything for him. Until one night when he came home. He was drunk, and mad for some reason. And it was the first time he attacked me. He beat me. More than once. I was shocked, maybe that's the reason why I didn't just run away. The next day he apologized, over and over again, and he was sweeter than he had ever been before. For some reason I decided to give him another chance, but...it was a mistake. He did it again. And again. He threatened me, told me what he'd do when I'd leave. And...and he was successful. I was so scared I stayed. And if this wasn't enough, he started to lie to me. He cheated on me. And he didn't care a bit about what he was doing to me with all this. But...but some day I managed to escape him. It's a long story, but in the end he was arrested and I was free again. And I swore to myself that I won't let something like this ever happen again." Lindsay stopped for a moment, fighting with the rising memories. She looked up at Danny, saw the shocked look in his eyes but also how he patiently waited for her to continue.

"Danny, please don't get me wrong," she then continued. "I...I never thought you could do the same to me. But...I was afraid. I was afraid to start a new relationship again. I was afraid to love again. When...when we...slept with each other, I realized that there were more emotions involved than I was ready for. And that's why I pushed you away. Because...because I was afraid. Maybe I should have talked to you, but I couldn't. But when you were together with Amy I...I realized that this wasn't what I wanted. Because...because I wanted you. I wanted to be together with you. And I still want this."

After she had told him everything, Lindsay noticed that she felt incredibly relieved. It hadn't been as hard as she had imagined. Maybe she really should have done it earlier. Excited she waited for him to respond.

"I'm sorry," was the first Danny said. "I wish I would have known that earlier. But I didn't, and it's okay. I just think...maybe...after we finally know that we want to be together and after our daughter was born, we maybe should...just try it."

Lindsay smiled, still tears running down her cheeks, but now tears of relief. "Yes, this would be great. And I promise to be honest with you, as long as you promise to never lie again."

"I promise," Danny answered, smiling as well.

And then it happened. Neither of them knew who had made the first step. But suddenly their lips met, in a gentle, deep kiss. Lindsay had to admit that she had never felt so happy, so relieved before. This was exactly what she had wished for all the time, and finally, after so many months, they had clarified everything and now had a chance to start a real relationship.

Minutes passed, until the couple was interrupted again, by a noise coming from their daughter's bed. They both instantly turned into her direction, both smiling when they saw her looking at them.

"She still needs a name," Lindsay said, looking back at Danny. "Do you have any ideas?"

A slight smile lit Danny's face when he looked back at her. "Until today I didn't. But I just got an idea. What about 'Hope'? I mean, it fits, right?"

Lindsay could just nod in agreement. Yes, Danny was right. 'Hope' was the perfect name for their baby. Because she was their hope. The hope that they finally could be happy together.

It had cost them a lot to reach this point, and it had been complicated. Both had been afraid to be hurt, and had misunderstood each other several times. But now Danny and Lindsay finally had gotten over all their problems, and were ready for their family. And they couldn't wait to be a couple and raise Hope, together.


End file.
